Someone's Gotta Give
by birkatbaby
Summary: RoryLogan: Both are unwilling to back down from a path that will unknowingly lead them to romance. (post "Not as Cute as Pushkin)
1. Expect the Unexpected

**Someone's Gotta Give**

Chapter 1: Expect the Unexpected

Rory sat in her dorm room trying to work on her paper, but she couldn't stop grinning. She'd never appreciated her grandfather more. Sure, she knew he didn't always act in the most admirable ways for her and her mother's liking, such as the time he'd manipulated her into interviewing for Yale against her will, but he sure had been useful in extracting her revenge against Logan. By now the cocky blonde was probably frantically calling his parents and lawyers trying to stop the prenup advancements and the family inner, before he figured out that it was a hoax.

She got up and stretched. Maybe she'd call Marty to join her for dinner. She didn't want to leave things on such a bad note with him and he hadn't seemed very happy the last time they'd talked.

Rory turned to reach for her phone when she noticed a bright orange envelope attached to her window with her name written in fancy lettering – Lorelai Gilmore III. Knowing who it was from, and intensely curious, Rory opened her window and detached the envelope. She furiously ripped it open and poured the contents out on her bed. A card and a jewelry box fell out. Eyeing the jewelry box nervously, Rory read the card first with her heart pounding.

My Love,

At last our secret is out. I cannot express in words how ecstatic and delighted I am that our families jointly smile in approval upon our union. I only hope to make you as happy as your family is so sure that you will be.

My darling, our families have arranged for a dinner on Friday night to announce our engagement. Please do me the honor of wearing this from then on.

I dream of you my darling Ace, don't make it long before I see you again.

You have my heart.

Logan Huntzberger II

Not knowing what to think, Rory flipped open the jewelry box and gasped. A gorgeous diamond ring was nestled inside the black velvet, twinkling innocently at her. The sheer size of the one diamond would have caused her t stop breathing, add to that the multiple diamonds that surrounded it and the platinum band it rested on…

"He can't be serious, can he?" Rory whispered to herself. The ring looked real, and expensive! She was beginning to fear that she had indeed gotten in way over her head.

Outside of the window, an adorable blonde with an arrogant smirk permanently attached to his face watched Rory's reaction to her package, taking his time before he decided his presence known.

She wanted to play hardball? Then he was going to give it to her.


	2. A Game of Chess

A/N: I'm so overwhelmed by the amount of reviews I received! I didn't know what kind of response i would get to this story, but after reading soooo many fics, I felt compelled to join the club. I hope you all enjoy, and thank you so so much for the reviews! You guys are a great bunch.

Chapter 2: A Game of Chess

A tap on the window interrupted Rory's scrambled thought process and she looked up to see Logan's torso pushing the glass panes open and leaning into her dorm room. Infuriatingly, a warm blush spread like fire over Rory's face, and she only hoped that the redness wasn't as apparent to him as it felt to her. She was furious at herself for reacting that way to him, and became even more determined not to back down.

One look at Logan's smirking face, and all of Rory's self confidence came rushing back. She would not be the first one to cave in.

"Every girl's dream," she said huskily, in a voice that even she didn't know she possessed, "is to have their own Romeo."

Logan looked a little taken aback at her opening line, but was quick to respond as Rory walked over to the window and leaned sideways alongside it.

"I am only concerned with _your_ dreams. As your fiancé, it is my duty to fulfill them." He was unsure what was going on inside Rory's head, and was quite frustrated that she hadn't admitted defeat yet. Her prank had been good, but there was no way he'd let Rory Gilmore outsmart him. Although he had to admit, she was one hell of a player.

Rory smiled angelically at her "fiancé". "As my fiancé, you should know though that you are welcome to use the front door, no matter how romantic it is to have a scene from Shakespeare played out in my dorm room. However, I don't think Shakespeare himself would appreciate it as much, in fact, he'd probably roll over in his grave a million times over again."

Logan couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Touché. I'll meet you at your front door." And with that he retreated.

Rory let out a breath she had been unaware she was holding in. She wasn't surprised that Logan was continuing the charade, after sending an engagement ring, how could he stop? However she was very surprised with herself. Rory thought of herself as the type who didn't play games or beat around the bush. This guy infuriated her, why wasn't she just telling him that and kicking him out of her life? Why was she continuing a game that could only fool him into thinking she could actually deal with him as a friend? She walked into the common room to meet Logan at the front door, all the more determined to make him admit defeat and finish this stupid match.

Rory opened the door and looked around but Logan was nowhere in sight. It shouldn't take all but a minute to get to her room from outside, and she leaned against the doorframe to wait for him, wondering what crazy stunt he was about to pull now. She began to lose her patience when she spotted him entering the hallway with his arms behind his back.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Ace m'dear," he said with a bright smile. "But I wanted to come bearing gifts." He entered the room, carefully ensuring that Rory didn't see what was behind his back.

Rory raised her eyebrows as she closed the door behind him. "Didn't you already bear a gift of some kind today? You know, that large, sparkly Marilyn Monroe-esqe type gift?"

Logan laughed. "Glad you liked it. No, this is a fairly different type of gift. Are you intrigued, hanging on my every word, pining to know what it is?"

"Actually…no. But you seem fairly anxious to tell me what it is, so I'll _allow_ you to give it over - if you wish."

"How very kind of you. And I mean that in every sense of the 4th grade way in which you meant it as well."

Rory stuck her tongue out at Logan, who just smiled and said, "Point proven." He withdrew his arms from behind his back, revealing two steaming cups of coffee. "The only reason I give up this opportunity to provoke you is because the steam is making my back sweat."

Rory made a face as she grabbed her cup of coffee. "I don't need to have an image of your sweaty back as I drink my coffee." She took a sip and heaved a huge sigh of contentment. "Which, by the way, is heaven. You know the way to my heart."

"Aw come on Ace," Logan said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I know that coffee isn't the only way to your heart. I'm betting that that image of my sweaty back is just burning in your brain as much as the coffee is burning in your mouth, and each one is making you equally salivate."

Rory gaped at him, openmouthed as he leaned over, pecked her on the cheek and turned to leave. One foot out the door, he turned back and said, "Pick you up tomorrow night at eight Sweets. Don't be late, and be fancy. And do me a favor, and have Marilyn Monroe's best friend adorning your finger."

Logan smirked as he entered the hallway. Check.


	3. Rebellious

Sorry for taking a bit longer to update. I'm not the quckest updater, seeing as school takes up a huge portion of my life. Even right now, I should be studying for a test, but I'm here!

I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews, I'm so completely overwhelmed by the reaction I've been gettin from this story, thank you, I appreciate it so much! 

beautymarked, Psychotic Scribbler, blueyed18, LusciousCheese, Shrimp5391, smile1 (I hope I'm not being too cliché for you), Natalie (I definitely agree about Logan being the guy for Rory!), readergurl87 (2x!), RidgelandHater, Daisy Deertree, waful89 (thanks for the _huge_ compliment. A comparison to a real episode - wow!), seetha (sorry for making you wait!),Kyizi, Fwoukje (I was nervous about the banter, glad you liked it!), aliciajo, mystripedskirt (a genius ay? Better not let that go to my head!), KeitaWolf, Jane, lizzie, TMK78, and munkyfunky – thank you all SO SO much for your kind words and for taking the time out to review.

Chapter 3: Rebellious

The digital clock switched to say 8:00, and immediately there was a knock at the door. Rory rolled her eyes as she got up from the couch. She just knew that Logan had been standing there, probably staring at his watch until it was the exact correct moment to show up. An evil grin showed on Rory's face before she opened the door, preparing herself for what was about to come.

"Logan, hi!" Rory exclaimed in surprise as she swung the door open. She gulped as she took in his attire and how handsome he was. He was wearing a dark blue suit, with a blue shirt and matching blue silk tie. The look was chic, stylish and above all, expensive. However, he still managed to maintain his devilish side with his perfectly mussed up hair and impish smirk. The smirk faded a bit as Logan gave Rory a once-over, and took in her reaction to his presence. "What are you doing here?" Rory asked innocently. She opened her mouth a bit and widened her eyes for dramatic effect.

Logan shook his head out of confusion. "We have a date Rory. Remember, last night I told you I'd pick you up at 8 and that you should dress fancy? Lovely as you always look, I'm not sure your outfit fits the mood of our destination."

Rory frowned and looked down at her outfit, a borrowed pink sweat suit of her mothers, complete with the word "Juicy" on the butt. A very unRorylike outfit, but it fit the very unRorylike things she was doing. "I don't remember making plans with you Logan. In fact, I made plans with Marty. He's coming over to study with me."

Logan's eyes flashed at the mention of Marty's name. "You made plans with the bartender? If you wanted a study partner, why didn't you ask me?"

"Well…I always study with Marty. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings dear, you just don't seem like the study partner type."

"What do you mean? I…study," Logan said lamely. His mind whirled with ways to convince her to study with him and not Marty, but when Logan saw Rory smirk triumphantly, he realized what was happening. Rory Gilmore was once again trying to pull a fast one on him! Make him all flustered, and confused. Well it almost worked, he had to hand it to her, but Rory had lost character and it only took that tiny second to alert Logan to what was really happening. Swiftly, Logan called back his smooth charm. "Anyways," he said in a low and seductive voice, never breaking eye contact with her, taking small steps that forced her to walk backwards into her room, "why would you even want to study when you can spend the night with me?"

Rory looked startled as Logan backed her into the room, but she was unable to break away from his pull, unable to recapture the upper hand. She knew she was losing it as she listened to his smooth voice, and she tried frantically to regain control of her mind.

"I made reservations for two in a romantic restaurant," Logan all but purred, "with candles and roses, dancing… all to celebrate our engagement. Doesn't that sound _so_ much nicer than studying?"

Rory gulped as she gazed up at Logan. _NO!_ Her logical mind screamed at her. _That doesn't sound more amazing, say no! _

"Yes," Rory heard herself say breathlessly. _Idiot!_

Logan smirked. And all this time he had been so attracted to Rory because she was resistant to his charm. He had been so confused at first to meet a girl like this, and so determined to beat her down._ Looks like the ol' Huntzberger charm wins again_, he thought to himself.

"Fabulous. I'll wait here while you go change. We can still make our reservations." He turned Rory around to face her bedroom and gave her a little push to head her in the right direction. "Oh, and don't forget to give Marty a call canceling your study night with him. Unless you want him to show up here to an empty apartment!"

Rory turned back around to face Logan. "Sweetie, I'm sorry, but when did I say I was going with you? As nice and lovely as your evening sounds, I have to study. And unlike you, I put schoolwork before pleasure. That's just something you'll have to live with."

There was a knock at the door and Rory glanced at her watch with a smile. "8:15, right on time. Marty's here, with the pizza."

She walked towards the door and opened it, leaving a speechless Logan behind her. "Marty!" Logan watched as Rory gave Marty a quick hug, somehow managing not to ruin the pizza in the process. Marty returned the hug with pleasure, until he saw Logan and he quickly broke apart from Rory with a scowl on his face. Not noticing anything unusual, Rory took the pizza from Marty and set it on the table, opening the box with a look of ecstasy on her face. "Mmmm," she moaned, breathing in the delicious smell. "All the toppings. Yum."

Marty glanced back at Rory with his fists clenched. "I didn't know we were having Huntzberger join us tonight. I would have gotten another pie for him, soaked in alcohol."

Rory looked up at Marty and giggled. "Oh no, Logan's just leaving. We had a miscommunication about plans, but I need to study tonight." She got up and walked over to Logan. "Sorry about the whole mix-up, but we'll talk later, ok?" she said as she walked Logan to the door.

Logan looked over his shoulder as Marty smiled triumphantly, obviously happy that he had beaten Logan this time. "No, Rory, I don't think I should go," Logan said, stopping before Rory could push him into the hall.

"Logan, tonight's a study night," Rory said exasperatedly. "I apologized for the misunderstanding, but I'm not going to change my plans for you. We'll do this some other night. Now please go!"

Logan looked down at Rory, his eyes glinting with determination. Rory held her breath. She had come to recognize that look, it meant something was brewing in Logan's head, that he had his next move planned out and that she probably wasn't going to like it.

No way was Logan going to back down to Rory, let alone Mr. Bartender. No, Logan was determined to win this round. With a charismatic smile on his face, directed at Marty, Logan said, "No darling, you misunderstood me – again. We really must work on our communications skills before we get married." Logan enjoyed Marty's reaction to that comment - the bugging eyes, swift look at Rory, back at Logan, back at Rory – before continuing. "I want your goodness to rub off on me. So I think I'll stay and study with you two."

Logan turned back into the dorm room, loosening his tie as he walked, proudly leaving Rory dumbfounded behind him yet again. It really and truly was satisfying to always get the last word.


	4. Never fails to surprise

A/N: I am _soooooooo_ sorry that it's been ages since I've updated. Being a senior in high school has been killing me, the workload is crazy and applying to colleges takes up so much time. I hope I haven't lost any readers by not updating quickly enough, I really just want people to enjoy what I've written. Thank you so much for the reviews, they overwhelm me and really make me smile so much. Thank you.

I'm not sure if I accomplished the quite Rory-Logan-Gilmore banter I was going for, I think the hiatus has affected me (1 day!!!!!) and I hope the chapter didn't suffer because of it. Sorry if this chapter doesn't hold up to par, and sorry again for not updating! Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Never fails to surprise

"I'm sorry, did you want that?" Logan smiled sweetly at Marty, and looked down at the piece of pizza that they both held on to. Marty glared back at Logan, determined not to get into a fight with him. The entire evening, Logan had been all politeness, and it was driving Marty up the wall. He knew Logan was putting on a show for Rory, showing her that he really didn't treat Marty like a jerk, and Marty was pissed.

Marty dropped his hand and said through clenched teeth, "Be my guest." He glanced over at Rory who remained oblivious to the entire exchange. She was absorbed in her textbook, trying to find the answer to a particularly hard question that Logan had asked. Marty groaned, "Come on Ror, the professor is never going to ask about that. Can we move on?"

When Rory looked up annoyed, Marty knew he had made the wrong move. "Who cares if the professor asks it Marty? I want to know! College isn't all about the tests; it's about acquiring the knowledge too."

Marty sighed and tried to avoid looking at Logan, who was giving him a huge, cheesy pizza filled grin. He'd had enough; this was not the evening he'd expected. And on top of everything, no one was giving him a straight answer about this so called "engagement". Rory wasn't wearing a ring, but he saw a jewelry box on the table, and he didn't think he needed all three guesses to know what was inside. Grabbing his books and shoving them into his bag, Marty got up from the floor. "Ror, I think I'm going to head out for now. Logan, it's been a pleasure."

Rory's head popped up as Marty walked towards the door, alarmed. "Why? We've barely gotten through the material. Why are you leaving?"

Marty sighed. "Nothing personal Rory, this just isn't the best studying environment for me. I'll do better upstairs." He closed the door behind him.

Rory scrambled up from the floor and looked accusingly down at Logan. "What did you do to him Logan?" She asked.

"Why do you automatically assume that I did something?" Logan asked innocently, his hands in the air.

Rory gave him a look and quickly headed for the door, to find Marty, leaving Logan behind to contemplate the turn of events. He was very confused. It wasn't as if he was trying to win the girl, so why did he care that he had upset her? Because Logan knew for sure that Rory was not his type. The only reason he kept up with this charade was because it was so much fun to get a rise out of the girl. Not only that, but she was one of the few who could keep him interested in what was underneath her good looks for very long - and she did have very good looks. He enjoyed their sparring matches; her wit was hard to keep up with, but he was pretty confident that he had yet to lose to her. All in all, he enjoyed being around her and having her as a friend. This whole engagement game in his mind was a pretty good scheme to keep the girl nearby, especially since beforehand she'd seemed pretty keen to slip away. Logan didn't want her to slip away; he wanted to get to know her better, maybe even have his friends get to know her better as well. He thought his friends would like her as well; hell, they'd seemed to at the LDB event. But even with all this in account, it didn't explain why he now hoped beyond anything that she wasn't really mad at him for upsetting Marty. When she had given him that look, that glare, his whole chest had tightened, as if afraid she was going to blow up at him. He usually took things in stride. Why would upsetting one girl make him so nervous?

_Woah, slow down there,_ Logan thought to himself. _You're working yourself up over absolutely nothing. This is supposed to be fun, remember? Nothing happened, Ace will go upstairs to talk to the bartender and find out that he completely overreacted and then we can just go back to playing our game. Nothing serious, just fun. _

Logan got up from his position on the floor, and walked over to the couch, kicking off his shoes as he went. He lay down with a book from the coffee table to wait for Rory.

By the time Rory came back, she found Logan fast asleep on her couch. She had to smile, he did make a very cute picture with his mussed up hair and boyish features. Even in sleep his face showed signs of mischievousness. His mouth was twisted into a smirk, and his eyes were crinkled at the edges, as if he knew that he was getting the better of her, even while he was unconscious. Rory sat on the edge of the coffee table and glanced at the book that rested on Logan's chest. _Pride and Prejudice. _Of course she knew he had gotten it from the table, but she was still shocked that he had picked up this book over the numerous other books and magazines that covered the entire table. Would he ever fail to surprise her?

Rory sat there, watching Logan sleep for quite some time. She wasn't even aware of the passing time, because as she looked at him, she found so much more to discover. She took in the way he breathed, and the way he would turn from side to side trying to find a comfortable spot. She watched as his arms flailed and almost hit her in the face, causing her to stifle some giggles. Rory studies his eyelashes, and the way they fluttered against his skin. His mouth, as it opened and closed every so often. His mouth held her attention for a while, and she came pretty near to knowing all of his features by heart.

"What a freaking horrible day!"

And with that Rory's study came to an end.

The door slammed wide open with that salutation from Paris, causing Logan to jump awake startled and Rory to guiltily leap up and move away from the couch. Logan noticed, of course, but wisely decided not to comment on it at the present moment, tucking it away to use as future ammunition if ever needed.

"Hello to you too Paris," Rory said quietly, taking a few deep breaths and smoothing some wrinkles from her skirt.

"Don't give me that innocent insulted roommate act Gilmore! You're tough and I'm not going to waste my precious time healing your wounded pride." And with another door slam, Paris exited as gracefully as she entered, this time entering her own room. Perhaps she sensed that she might be the third wheel in the common room, or perhaps she didn't even notice Logan at all, as was her way. Even so, Rory was nervous about being left alone with him, still frazzled by her thought process as she had watched him sleep. Her mind was changing him from being just her sparring partner, slowly morphing him into something else, and it was making her rather uncomfortable.

During Paris's sudden appearance and exit, Logan got up and stretched. "Sorry about falling asleep on you Ace. Guess all that studying wore me out."

Rory snorted. "Sure, _Pride and Prejudice_ will really do that to you," she said, holding up the book that had fallen to the floor when Logan had stood.

Logan smiled sheepishly, adorably, causing Rory's brain to fuzz a bit. "What can I say? I have a thing for Elizabeth. Only she doesn't generally make me fall asleep. I've just been pretty tired lately." He took a couple steps forward, positioning himself dangerously close to Rory. "You know, you remind me of Elizabeth in many ways."

Rory swallowed hard, and looked up at Logan, never breaking their eye contact. "I do?"

"Yeah. You're both stubborn and witty, and you find amusement in weird characters. But not just that, you both aren't satisfied with the norm; you're always searching for more, what's out there. You both know that there's something else out there for you, more than what's been given to you. But you're both cautious; you don't go searching for it recklessly. You wait patiently until the right moment comes along. And then you get it."

Rory stared at Logan, unsure of how to react. This guy just kept blowing her away. He seemed to have some insights about her that she doubted even Lane had. "And I suppose you're expecting me to compare you to Darcy now?" Rory countered, never backing down. Uncomfortable as she was standing so close to him, she refused to take a step back, knowing it would symbolize some kind of weakness, and a loss of this battle.

Logan grinned cockily. "Well I'm certainly not Bingley, now am I? I'm much cleverer than that."

"And equally as cocky as Darcy, I think I can safely say that."

Logan laughed. "My dear Ace, comparing me to Darcy is not necessary. He is a man I most admire, and I am fully aware of how much I am like him. Irresistible to women of all kind, full of charm, fabulously handsome and rich - "

" - And arrogant," Rory cut in.

" – and smart as anything," Logan continued as if he had not been interrupted. "And so my darling, it is late and therefore," he said as he closed her hands around the book, "I leave this book in your possession to ensure that your dreams of Darcy will lead you to pleasant dreams of me." He softly kissed Rory on the cheek and turned for the door.

Rory turned to him, hand on one hip. "You need a safety net to ensure that I'll dream of you? Not feeling so sure of yourself now that you have to stand up to Darcy, huh?"

Logan turned around and smiled pleasantly, one hand on the door. "Rory, my only competition is a novel character. My confidence has reached immeasurable heights, since I'm fairly certain that Mr. Darcy won't be coming around here to challenge me to a duel to win the fair maiden's heart. Good night!"

Rory ground her teeth in exasperation. She ran to the door and yelled after him, "Darcy would never duel!"

When she was met with only the odd looks from her neighbors, Rory smiled at them and walked back into her room. She leaned against the door and sighed. Even if it didn't make sense, she did like having the last word for once.


End file.
